>> this is "dw news" live from berlin. in paris tonight, two weeks and two degrees stand between us and the future. 2015 is said to be the hottest year ever. sea levels are rising. world leaders have 14 days to come up with a binding global plan to slow down climate change. will paris make a difference we can live with? also on the show, pope francis calls for peace between muslims and christians in war-torn central african republic saying we are all brothers and sisters.

and new zealand bids and emotional farewell to one of its greatest rugby players. we will show you how they said goodbye to jonah lomu. >> it is good to have you with us. a global climate conference has never felt so promising and has never been so close to being too late. leaders from around the world are in paris tonight for the biggest ever climate summit. more than 150 heads of state and government are taking part. french president francois hollande declaring today the future of life itself is at stake. the aim of the meeting is to reach a long-term deal on curbing global co2 emissions before our weather and lives become too hot to handle. >> no one wants to miss the summit.

heads of state and government, the most powerful leaders from around the world, have come in pparis.to the climate talks in they are here to make a point. the agenda is nothing less than to save the world as we know it. >> we have to leave our children not only a world without terror, but also a planet they can live on without environmental catastrophes. >> some leaders have their own suggestions for slowing climate change. german chancellor angela merkel says a great deal must be done to keep temperatures less than two degrees celsius above preindustrial levels. >> we are talking about the fundamentals of life for coming generations. we know we must act now. that is the reason for this conference. and the results we need to come to in the next few days must stand out for that reason. >> developing countries'

leaders called for the chance to grow their economies at the same time as fighting climate change. but the indian president assured his audience india's economic development and environmental protection would go hand-in-hand. >> we have set ambitious targets. by 2030, we will reduce emissions by 33% to 35% and produce 30% of our power from nonfossil fuels. >> u.s. president obama stressed urgency, although he will have difficulties getting a binding treaty through congress. president obama: i have come here personally as the leader of the world's largest economy and second-largest emitter to say the united states of america not only recognizes our role in

creating this problem, but we embrace our responsibility to do something about it. >> all those participating are well aware of one simple fact. failure to sign a treaty of substance, as happened at the 2009 hundred conference in copenhagen, is not an option. time is of the essence. >> the issue at the heart of the talks is global warming and climate change. scientists tie it to the greenhouse effect. let's do a crash course in the science of this. when the sun's rays penetrate the atmosphere, some is absorbed the ocean. the rest is reflected back into space. some is trapped by greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide and methane. it warms the planet even more. it is what makes it livable. the increase in greenhouse gases

largely driven by carbon emissions means more heat is being trapped, just as it would make greenhouse. in a moment, when we hear from our correspondent in paris. first, we want to take you to the islands in the southern pacific to see for yourself what happens when warmer temperatures contribute to rising sea levels. our reporter has more. >> the islands in the middle of the pacific ocean. she lives on the main island. she shows us how much trouble the area is in because of rising waters. residents are trying to keep the ocean at bay with cement and sandbags. but she knows it will not be enough. >> if we do not do this -- something about this, you will be underwater. one day, all of us will be underwater. >> the coastlines are steadily

eroding. that is only one of the many problems it is facing. for thousands of years, fishing was the islanders' likelihood. now extreme weather conditions are making that difficult. storms are increasing. her family is directly affected. her brother-in-law is afraid he will not be able to work anymore if climate change worsens further. >> we used to have a month straight of good weather. now it is completely unpredictable. the weather is changing so much faster than we expected. the seas are so rough we are not able to fish anymore. >> it is extremely densely populated. many here are poor, living in shacks that can barely withstand the increasingly violent storms and flooding. if the destruction continues at this pace, many will have no other choice but to immigrate.

the president is sure of one thing. without outside help, his people are doomed. >> the science indicates even if emission levels are zero, we would still be affected seriously. our future as a nation is in question. i think our focus would be on the remedies to that, what the international community can do. >> it is not possible to sit and wait for help from others. these trees are especially salt resistant. fully grown, they protect against floods and erosion. >> god has given us this beautiful land. it is our responsibility to look after it very carefully.

the coast impression is happening, climate change is happening. but still, we are fighting. >> she is probably fighting a losing battle. but she says she will never abandon her home here. >> our correspondent is in paris covering the summit. the sent us this summary of the challenges that lie ahead on day one. >> the leaders of about 150 countries are here in paris. they said the right things. but now the glamorous part is over. now the chief negotiators have to talk about the nitty-gritty details. that is the problem because how are they going to finance ending climate change? how are they going to find a binding mechanism for everything they decide in paris as the europeans want, especially the germans? that is the reason the german environmental minister said the

next two weeks might be the most difficult weeks in the history of climate diplomacy. >> you can find more information about climate change and its effects at our website dw.com/climatechange. you will find everything you want to know about global warming. interactive maps show you which regions around the world are particularly affected where it has led to drought and wildfires for instance. you also see what is happening in the amazon and how badly australia has been affected. that is dw.com/climatechange. pope francis says it is now or never to reach a deal on climate change. he warned the world is headed towards suicide if no agreement is reached in paris. he made the comments on board his airplane after wrapping up a trip to africa. he spent the last two days in the central african republic, a

country wracked by fighting between christians and muslims. the pope cap to his visit with a powerful gesture of reconciliation visiting a mosque in one of the most troubled parts of the capital. >> guarded by the united nations peacekeepers, pope francis spent the last day of his african tour bringing a mentioned -- message of reconciliation to the central african republic. venturing into a volatile muslim neighborhood in the capital, the pope rushed off security concerns to visit the main mosque. his message? religion can never justify violence. christians and muslims and members of traditional religions have lived peacefully for many years. the pope's visit to the mosque was the most dangerous part of his 24 hour visit to the african nation.

two years of christian-muslim violence here has divided the capital and forced nearly one million people to flee their homes. the pope and the chief imam at the mosque observed a moment of silence. his presence and words prompted a rapturous response from locals. the pope spoke about well-being. we all want peace in this country. the last couple of years have been very tiring. his visit will help bring peace between all the religions in this country. >> from the mosque, he traveled on to address tens of thousands at the stadium. welcomed by more ecstatic crowds, the pope called on catholics to forge bonds of friendship, to dialogue with hose who are different than ourselves, to forgive those who have wronged us.

pope francis flew back to rome after the mass. this was his first visit to a crisis some since he became pope in 2013. >> earlier, i spoke to our correspondent in nairobi and asked her how the pope was received when he visited a neighborhood at the center of muslim-christian tensions. >> with great jubilation, i will tell you that. it was mostly from the muslims who saw his visit as a very symbolic gesture inasmuch is getting peace back to the region. the specific place he went has been an enclave for muslims. they do feel trapped. for him to have been able to cross over as a christian to that side was seriously symbolic. >> walk us through some of the key moments of the five-day trip and talk about the significance of it. >> he did visit plenty of places. there are quite a few

highlights. he went to a stadium asking the muslim kenyans to stand up and hold hands as a symbol to end tribalism in the country. going to the slum was a big gesture telling them he understood what poverty meant and their government was neglecting them. of course, his final day today ending at the mosque, something tremendously instrumental, especially because the muslims have not been able to leave that region because of the violence that has plagued that nation. >> turkey says it will not apologize for shooting down a russian warplane on the border to syria last week. the turkish prime minister made the comment after meeting the head of nato in brussels. moscow disputes the claim the war claim -- warplane violated

turkish airspace. turkey is adamant it acted in self-defense and the position hs the backing of the rest of nato. when asked if his government would issue an apology, and turkish prime minister was quick to reject the suggestion. >> i can say the protection of our airspace and land border is not only a right, but a duty for my government. no turkish prime minister, president, or authority will apologize because of this. turkish airspace, protection of turkish airspace, turkish borders, is important. our army did their job to protect this airspace. >> that was the turkish prime minister speaking in brussels. you are watching "dw news" live from berlin. still to come, counting is

underway after the west african country held its first free election in decades. early results suggest be former prime minister will be the next president. we will have more from our correspondent, plus business news. we are back in 60 seconds. >> can we preserve biodiversity? >> it grows two centimeters in five months. we are quite happy. >> it presents answers from all over the world. traditional knowledge. >> it will help ease pain. >> projects. >> i live on the coast. i feel it is my duty to protect the area. that is why i bring my students so they learn to love nature at

an early age. >> visions. >> our strategy is based on the traditional lifestyle as a way of preserving the environment for future generations. >> global ideas on facebook, twitter, and dw. >> you are with "dw news" live from berlin. here are the top stories. world leaders have opened a mammoth climate summit in paris. the aim is to limit the global rise in temperatures to two degrees celsius by stemming carbon emissions. negotiators have less than two weeks to strike a global deal. vote counting is continuing in burkina faso as the public awaits the results of the country's first democratic presidential election in decades. the provisional vote count from around 40% of constituencies

shows a strongly for the former prime minister. sunday's election was peaceful and saw a high turnout. it is hoped the democratic process can put it on a new path after a year of turmoil. here is a look at the movement that tape the way for the election. >> it is these protests in october of last year that made the transformation possible. thousands marching through the capital, furious about the president's plans to change the two-term limit and run for reelection. the president had already ruled the west african nation for 27 years, winning four elections, all of them criticized as unfair. on the street, the message from demonstrators was clear. we have had enough. clashes broke out on the day of the referendum aimed at changing

burkina faso's presidential term limit. protesters stormed parliament and demanded the president's resignation. a day later, the president resigned and fled the country. it was a spectacular victory for the jubilant protesters and for african democracy. their courage and commitment ultimately paving the way for sunday's peaceful elections. >> we want change, this young voter says. that is what we came looking for this morning. we want something different. we need a president who takes care of us. >> we need change. change starts with voters choosing the candidate we want. then we follow that candidate. >> it has been a long wait in burkina faso. but it's democratic transition

could serve as an example for other african countries whose leaders want to extend term limits and claim to power -- cling to power. >> our correspondent is in the capital. she told us the vote for change in leadership has been driven by the urban population. >> that is true. burkina faso is a country very divided between people in the villages and those in the big cities. those in the big cities wanted a break with the old regime and to bring in new faces. the people in the villages are not in the same way educated and stick very much to the figures they know. they tend to vote for those coming from their ethnic group. nevertheless, since 1956 there has never been a civil head of the state.

this will be the first time there is no military head of the state. this is a big change for burkina faso. >> that is our correspondent reporting from burkina faso's capital. time for business. gerhart is here with the business headlines. >> germany will not be hosting the olympics in 2024. the city of hamburg was the german olympic committee's official bid city. but the local government left the final decision on whether to go ahead with the process up to the citizens. they said no by more than 51.5%. it was a surprising result. polls ahead of the vote suggested the packers would win. olympic opponents warned the costs were too great. the committee estimated a price tag of 11 billion euros to stage the games. the most recent olympics have cost a lot more than their original budgets.

let's get an economic assessment of that failed bid. i am joined by wolfgang, who is not only a professor of economics at hamburg university, but also an olympic gold medalist. welcome to our show. from an economic point of view, was that a clever vote? >> hamburg is a growing city and will have its chances and opportunities even without the olympics. it would have been a very good opportunity to become more famous in the world, to attract visitors and work on the image of hamburg. >> is it true big sports events are a stimulus for the local economy in he long run and therefore the cost of staging them is justified? >> i wish i could say so. but i have to tell that many statistical analyzers of olympic

games, although many researchers would dispute it, they say we are never able to find significant effects on income. i cannot accept that as a good argument for the olympics. >> if we look at london, for example, the most recent of the big games where the olympic park has been turned into sports venues open to the public. how did it work out for london? >> in the short run, london lost 350,000 visitors during the third quarter, the olympic quarter of 2012. it lost in tourism visitors. in the long run, it is too early to get a statistical measurement. i'm very sure my colleagues from great britain will do such

analysis. >> is it still viable to apply for these big sporting events like a look at games and football world cups when the public does not seem interested in having them on their doorstep? >> i think the public is interested. germany is interested. it weighs the benefits against potential costs. we had 15 billion cost estimates for hamburg. for many people and too many people in germany, that had been too much. a different concept which would not have misinterpreted the olympic games is a tool for development, we would have had a much smaller budget. and i think we could have succeeded to have a privately financed concept like los angeles, we would have had much less resistance. >> the professor of economics at

hamburg university, thank you very much. the international monetary fund has admitted china's yuan into the benchmark currency basket. it joins the elite club of the world's most rocksolid currencies. the dollar, the euro, the british pound, and the japanese yen. >> christine lagarde has already approved the move. china asked for its currency to be included last year. it is already a major player. five years ago, trading in the yuan was almost nonexistent. now it has moved into third place among the world's currencies in foreign exchange trading volume. china is already the world's second-largest economy. beijing will be under pressure to rein in the yuan's volatility and improve its economic data to meet i.m.f. standards. the yuan has been volatile in the past year. china massively devalued its currency last august.

it was a surprise attempt to jumpstart its lagging economy. sudden moves like that will not be welcome once it joins the elite currency club. after it becomes an official reserve currency, expected next year, the yuan will be part of a basket that the i.m.f. uses for emergency lending, so it needs to be stable. the chinese central bank has pledged to increase transparency and financial reforms. insiders expect it to preside over a gradual depreciation of the chinese currency over the next year. >> he is preparing your next business update as we speak. see you tomorrow. >> thousands turned out to bid a final farewell to the rugby legend jonah lomu at a traditional ceremony in new zealand. the 40-year-old superstar died

suddenly earlier this month after struggling with a rare kidney condition for most of his career. >> carried by paul failures -- -- and former teammates pallbearers and former teammates, he was received at the stadium where he battled it out many times over his career. tributes flooded in from all over the globe for the rugby legend. >> you were many things to many people. you were a freak on the field, and a gentle, caring giant off it. a loving husband, dad, son, and brother. but most of all, you were a lovely man. >> his former teammates honored a star with another tradition as his devastated wife and children looked on. he was a national hero in new

zealand, considered a role model for the pacific island communities. >> he brought much joy to the rugby family and our sport -- brought our sport to a new level of profile. >>'s impact professionally and personally was evident throughout the ceremony. a private burial service will take place in auckland on tuesday. >> here is a quick reminder of the top story we are following for you. world leaders have opened a climate summit in paris to slow the progress of global warming. >> ♪

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♪ valeria: november 13 started out as a normal friday night in paris. a time for simple pleasures, going to dinner with friends or watching a concert or football match, but for hundreds of people, the night ended in death and tragedy. i'm valeria risi, and this week on "focus on europe," we've got a special programm looking at the tragic event that has shaken europeans. the brutal islamist terror attack in paris. ♪ first, a football stadium was